Hauraki Contested, 1769–1875

One of the earliest sites of Māori–Pākehā contact, Hauraki became a hotly contested region in the first 100 years of European settlement. Rich in timber, gold and other resources, it became a site of loss and devastation for Māori as the land was systematically confiscated.

Hauraki Contested draws a vivid picture of iwi leaders, Pākehā traders and government officials at a time of intense conflict and tumultuous change. It also takes readers directly into a landscape and the lives of the people who occupied it, yielding a rich account of a time of major transformation.